Safety appliance for flying-machines.



J. H. KENDIG.

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR FLYING MACHINES.

APPLlcATIoN man sPT.2o,19n. RENEWED Nov. 16.1917.

I. H. KENDIG.

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR FLYING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED sEPT.20. 1911.RENEWED Nov. I6. I9II TI., Pato-111911 JIIIIc 25, 1918. 8 SHEETS-Sgen 2.

Fly. 3

WIITNIESSES UIMWIEWITOW I. I-I. KENDIG.

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR FLYING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.20, I9II. RENEWED NOV. I5, I9l7.

J. H. KENDIG.

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR FLYING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILI-:DsI-:PT.20.1911. IIENEWED Nov. 16,1911.

@Q 9. Patented June 25, 1918.

m:- 8 SHEETS*SHEET 4.l f. JS

WH' IIIIVEIIITOR I. H. KENDIG.

SAFETY APPUANCE FOR FLYING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20, 19H. RENEWED NOV. I6. |917.

Patented June 25, 1918.

- 8HEETS-SHEET 5.

I. H. KENDIG.

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR FLYING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED sEILzo. IIIII.RENEwEn Nov. 16.1911..

Patented JIIII@ 25, 1918.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

J. H. KENDlG.

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR FLYING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED sEPT.2o. I9II. RENEWED Nov. I6. I9I1.

Patented Jim@ 25, 1918.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 7.

IIIIITIIIIE slss W IIIIII'IE-III'I'UR f JI H. KENDIG..

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR FLYING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED sEPT.2o, I9II. RENEWED Nov. 16.1911.

@U54 l @I Patented June 25, 1918.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

I IIIIII'EIII'I'WM, M j

JULAN H. KENDIG, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA;

SFETY MPLIANCE FOR FLYING-MACHINES.

ramera.

. Specification of Letters Patent. Pajimjmteml Jun@ 25', llgll..

Application filed September 20, 1911, Serial No. 650,435. RenewedNovember 16, 1917. Serial No. 202,307.

To ZZ whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JULIAN H. KENDIG, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSafety Appliances for Flying-Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to such safety appliances as may be brought intooperation when the flying machine is disabled or for any othery reasonthe machine is in danger of falling, for the purpose of saving both themachine and aviator from disaster by retarding the descent ofthe machineor aviator to a safe landing velocity by the aid of an expandingparachute. Among the objects of my invention are; the provision of adevice that is of suiicient size to accomplish the safe landing from ahigh elevation of either `the flying machine or its aviator in case ofan accident; to so construct the device that it may be carried by theflying machine and when not inoperative position will occupy a minimumof space and offer a minimum of air resistance; the provisionV of adevice which is of sufficient strength to withstand all strains incidentto such service and at the same time have a minimuml of weight. Myinvention further contemplates a construction that, when the emergencyarises for its use, can be released instantly by the aviator and theparachute immediately expanded at a safe distance, clear of the flyingmachine; the provision of means whereby the parachute is carried to sucha position in a form offering a minimum of resistance to the air, andmeans whereby the opening of the parachute is facilitated andaccomplished at a lower vertical falling velocity than is common withparachutes. It is still further intended to provide means whereby allropes are so folded that there will be no danger of their becomingentangled; to provide means of so folding the parachute that it may beythrown bodily or discharged from the flying machine and stripped freeto'expand at a predetermined point; the pro.- vision of means to releasecompressed gases into the tubular framework at s uch time, the saidframework being provided to expand the parachute; the provision ofirnproved means to secure a maximum spread of the parachute, and theprovision' of a safe, elastic and certain means of projecting theparachute away from the flying machine. These and such other objects asmay herelnafter appear, or are incidental to my invention, I attain bymeans of a construction illustrated in the accompanying draw ings, inpreferred form.

Of the drawings, Figure 1 a longitudinal section through the apparatus;Fig. 2 is a section on the line H-Il o-f Fig. 1 looking toward the frontend of the apparatus; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through theapparatus on the line III-Ill the rear portion; Fig. 4 is a similarsection of the front portion; Fig. 5 is an end view of the device on theline V-V of Fi 3, with certain portions of the casing bro en away toshow the firing mechanism; Fig. 6 is a section on the line VI-VI of Fig.7 Fig. 7 is an end view of the locking head; Fig. 8 is a plan view ofthe locking head; Fig. 9 is a face view of the head locking ring;

Fig. 10 is a side view of the head locking ring; Fig. 11 is a section ofa detail of my invention showing the mounting of the hammers and cookingapparatus; Fig. '12 is a side view of a sleeve of the cooking device;Fig. 13 is a side view of the cooking arm or crank which carries thecooking shaft; Fig. 14 is a side view of the cooking dog and the springwhich holds it to the hammer; Fig. 15 is a face view of the cocking dogand crank arm carrying the cocking shaft; Fig. 16 is a side View of thehammer; Fig. 17 is a section showing diagrammatically the folding of theparachute about the projectile, and the folding of two guy ropes whichrip the casing when strippin Fig. 18 is a side view of the exterior of tel parachute folded, showing the folding of the guy ropes beneath theoil paper flap about the exterior; Fig. 19 is an end view of Fig. 18;Fig. 20 is a diagrammatic showing of the guy ropev which rips theenvelop when stripping; Fig. 21 is an enlarged por tion of Fig. 19; Fig.22 is a side elevation of an aeroplane showing the parachute beingdischarged vertically above it, the normal position being shown indotted lines; Fig.

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of Fig. 5 at 23 is a front view showing the parachute Uw and apparatusin normal position; Fig.- 24:' is a detail of a detachable terminalclasp having a tension spring attached; Fig. 25

device; Fig. 26 is an enlarged section f through XXVI- XXVI of Fi 25; Fi27 v2 at the rear foi` inclosingthe lirin vertical position.

is a'section through line XX II-X I-I of Fig. 26; Fig. 28 is a side viewshowing the parachute expanded and attached to an aeroplane, part of theparachute being cut away; Fig. 29 is a bottom plan view of thelpneumatic tubing employed to expand the parachute; Fig. 30 is a crosssection of the tubing, and Fig. 31 is a section through a v frictioncable feed mechanism.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the device consists of abase frame 1 securely mounted upon the flying machine in any suitablemanner, having a compartment appa' ratus to be hereinafter described,van a -pair of trunnion brackets 3 projecting vertically 'above thecompartment and on each side of the same, for` rotatably vcarrying thegun mechanism hereinafter described; the base frame is alsolprovided atits front end with an elevated projection 4 which is recessed to afforda mounting for a portion of the releasing mechanism. The sides of theprojection extend rearwardly in the form of Webs 5 to the heavy` frontcompartment wall 6 for strengthening the whole structure. Upon the baseframe is mounted practically the whole apparatus, which comprises a gunbarrel 7 provided with a trunnion band 157, havin trunnion shafts 9integral therewith, whic shafts havev a bearing in the trunnion brackets3 and permit the gun barrel to be -elevated Afrom horizontal to A breechblock 10 is screwed or otherwise fastened in the rear end of the gunbarrel and contains part of the firing mechanism to be later described.The locking head 11 is removably secured aboutl the breech head and alsocontains a part of the firing mechanism. The projectile for this gunconsists of a tubular reservoir 12 fitting snugly within the n barreland closed at each end, and is lled with air under sufficient pressurethat when suddenly released by the collapsing of the arched closure 1 79 nearest the breech, or otherwise released, the expansionof theconinedair within the projectile against the interior of the gun barrel willpropel the rojectile and which are to be performed by the advancingofthe projectile and the momentum stored therein, all ofwhich willhereinafter appear. Atv the front end of the projectile is securelyattached asmaller air reservoir 14, for the storage of air under highpressure, which reservoir hasv no communication with the main reservoir,but which is for the purpose of .supplying air under presssure to acollapsible pneumatic tubular framework at .lar black lines.

tached to the underside of the parachute 15, which is in turn securedfirmly to a ring 16 surroundin the outside of the reservoir 14 andsecure thereto by means of the clamp ring 17. A thin, light metaltubular casing 18 1s provided to screw onto the reservoir 14 at 194which casing is of slightly larger internal diameter than the outsidediameter of the gun barrel and is for the purpose of holdlng theparachute away from the gun barrel when the parachute is in foldedposition about the casing, such as that shown in Fig. 1 and representedby the heavy, irregu- Another shield casing 20, conical in form, isprovided at the rear end of the casinv 18 and attached securely to theoutside t ereof to provide a space 21 be tween the folded parachute andthe casing 18 to receive a coil of the main ,rope 22, and at the sametime to provide an 4elastic retaining means for the main guy rope ring23 to be hereinafter referred to. The parachute is firmly secured to thering 16, as well as all the guy ropes which lead down radially along theoutside of the parachute, and is folded back and forth along the casing18, as shown in Fig. 1. An oil paper envelop or cover 24 completelysurrounds the folded parachute to protect it from the weather and at thesame time serves to hold the folds of the parachute compressed into aminimum amount of space, and prevent its expansion while the projectileis passing through the air until the projectile reaches thepredetermined distance from the aeroplane, when the stripping occurs.'Where the guy ropes 25 extend beyond the parachute, as at the point 26,the are folded out through the rear end of tlie paper envelop and thenback and forth snugly along the outside of the envelop, where eachseparate folded uyrope is enveloped by an oil paper flap 2%, which isfastened down over thenext preceding'flap thus forming a separatecompartment for each rope, as shown in Figs. 2 and 21, and later to bemore fully disclosed. j

.The free ends of the guy ropes are then secured to the ring 23, thisring being then slipped over the gathered end of. the paper cover 24 tohold it securely clampe-d against the shield 20. Four short strands- 28,Figs. 5 and 28,4 are attached to the ring y23 and connect with the unionring 29; to this latter ring is secured the main rope 22 coiled upon adrum 30 slid upon Ithe casing 18 and held in position byI-turning itinto locking engagement with the pins 31 projecting from the rear end ofthe casin 18.

By now referring to ig. 22, it will be seen that the main rope 22 leadsfrom the drum 30 to a spring connection 32 which is detachably securedto the base frame by means of the lugs 33, Figs. 1, 22 and 24, and thespring clasp illustrated in detail in Fig.

24, which comprises the lugs 33 having concave recesses 34 on theiropposed inner faces, into which semi-spherical lugs 35 protruding fromthe legs of the forked spring 36 project making in one, a socketpermitting of vertical rotation and a connection that will disengageupon sufficient stress and shock being applied to rope 22 and springconnection 32. The one end of the sprin fork 36 is enlarged and asuitable spring 3 is coiled around thereabout, which spring 37 isprevented from overstrain by means of the flexible cable 38, which issecured to the connection members at 39. This cable is slack when thespring is normally in contracted condition, but is drawn taut when thespring is extended to a point near its elastic limit. A rope 40, Fig.22, is secured to the rope 22 at the point 41, and receives the load ofthe rope 22 when the clasp 36 pulls away fromthe lugs 33. The object ofthis arrangement is lto provide a means whereby the rope 22 will drawoil' from the coil drum 30 on a line substantially parallel to the gunbarrel and closely adjacent thereto, so as to facilitate a straight pullin uncoiling the main rope 22 from the drum 30, and to offer a straightpull when the stripping of the parachute is being accomplished. Theshock incident to the projectile reaching the end of the rope travelwill be observed by the spring connection 32 and when the cable 38 isfinally drawn taut, the shock will cause the lugs 35 to compress thelegs of the spring fork 36 and thus pull away from the lugs 33. The loadassumed by the then expanding parachute will thus be transferred to therope 40, thence through the four ropes 42 joined at 43, which union islocated so as to distribute the full load above approximate center ofgravity of the flying machine. The ropes 42 lead through the pulleys 44secured in the framework of the flying machine, thence down along themain struts 45 through the pulleys46 and thence to the springconnections 47, which are secured to the main struts at a suitablelocation, opposite to one another. This construction transfers the loadto the base of the machine, which is of course very desirable andprovides ample shock absorbing means. The spring connections 47 are ofsimilar construction as that shown in Fig. 24, with the exception thatboth ends are like the end marked 48. v

Tn normal position the ropes 42 lie flat against the surface of the topplane, as shown in Fig. 23 and are held in position by oil paperfastened over them, which paper tears when the ropes 42 are pulled. Theythen pass up along the outside of the wind shield 49 and down insidethereof under the parachute where they are arranged so as not tointerfere with any of the operating mechanisms. A exible collapsiblewind and" protection shieldl K, Fig. 1, is attached to the rear of thegun barrel and extends over the gun to the base frame and serves to keepout moisture from the working parts.

Referring now to the details of the operating mechanism, and moreparticularly to Figs. .1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, it will be seen that normallythe folded parachute 15, is mounted upon the projectile and the mainreservoir 12 thereofis inserted within the gun barrel 7, and that theparachute, projectile and gun barrel lie substantially horizontal abovethe base frame 1. A pair of tension springs 50, secured at one end tothe base frame by the lugsl51, Fig. 1, tends to rotate the gun barrelwith the projectile to a substantiallyl vertical position relative tothe base frame 'by means of their attachment at the other end to thecrank arms 52, which are keyedto the trunnion shafts 9, but areprevented from so doing by means of the trigger 53 engaging a notch 54in the lug 55 integral with the wall of the reservoir 14. The gun barrelis also prevented from assuming a vertical position by means of theengagement of the nose 56 on the end of the crank 52 with the pawl 57which is pivoted at between the two cranks 58 keyed to the shaft 59traversing the rear end of the device. The pawl 57 is prevented fromrotating about the. pivot 60 by the nose 61 engaging the under side ofthe shaft 59. The shaft 59 is held against rotation by the contact ofthe pawl 62 with the square end 63 of the release rod 64. The plate 65,having roller bearings 66 therein, is provided to prevent friction andbinding of the release rod. The shaft 59 is supported by, and takesbearing in the lugs 67 near the ends of the shaft, and the lugs 68ne-,ar the center of the shaft. Tt will now be seen that the gun barrelmust remain in horizontal position until *both locking means arereleased,

which is accomplished by drawing the release rod 64 forward by thepulling of the cable 69 which passes around the pulley 70 pivoted in 'adownward projection, at the front of the base frame. This release rod isnormally held in the position shown by the compression spring 71 bearingagainst the end wall 6 of the compartment 2 and the square end of therelease rod.

When the square end passes from under the pawl 62 the shaft 59 is freeto rotate and the pawl 57 will swing clear of the nose 56 when presseddown by the forward swing of the crank 52 caused by the contraction ofthe spring 50. This movement however can not occur until the trigger 53is drawn out of the notch 54, which operation takes place after thesquare portion 63 of the release rod is clear of the pawl 62, at whichtime the pins 72, integral with the collar 73 secured to the release rod64, are drawn into engagement with the forked portion 74 of the trigger53 which by reason of their contact therewlth'draw the trigger out ofthe notch 54 and permit the gun barrel and projectile to rise to asubstantially vertical position ready for the firing` operation.

The trigger 53, pivoted to the web 5 by the pin 53', is normally held inengagement with the notch 54 by spring 75 secured by the pin 76 to thesides of the front portlon of the web 5. of the base frame. To furtherprovide against accidental release of the trigger 53, the cableconnection 77 at the end of the release rod 64 is provided with arearwardly projecting finger 78 which engages the front side of thelower arm of the trigger 53, thus` preventing its forward movementunless the release -rod is drawn forward by the operator.

It will be seen that by this construction, the gun cannot move tooperative position should either the forward or rear locking mechanismbecome accidentally broken, and that by pulling the release rod 64forward, it will permit the gim to assume vertical or firing position inthe event, of failure of either one. In order that the gun with itsprojectile may be brought down from vertical to horizontal position, itis necessary that the nose 56 on the crank 52 can pass the pawl 57 andthat the release'rod may pass under the pawl 62, and that the trigger 53will permit the passage 0f the lug 55 into its socket at 79. Toaccomplish these o erations the shaft 59 and pawl 62 are he d in thepositions shown by means of the spring 80 tending to hold the pin 81,secured to the shaft 59, against the lug 82 at the top of the bearinglug 68. Thus the shaft will always come back to the position shown, Fig.3, and in order that the nose 56 may pass the pawl 57, it is normallyheld in the position illustrated by means of the spring 83, one end ofwhich passes through the pivot pin 60, which is integral with'the pawl57, and the other end is secured to the outside crank 58, by means ofthe loop 84, integral with the cranks 58, or otherwise secured thereto.Therefore when the nose 56 comes into contact with the pawl 57, the awlwill be depressed clear of it, and w len the nose 56 passes, it willsnap back and-lock the crank 52, as is shown in Fig. 3.

The trigger 53 clears the lug 55 by means of the cam surface 85, Fig. 4,at the bottom of the lug engaging the top nose 86 of the trigger 53thereby pushing it aside when the lug 55 is passing, and w en it hasreached the position shown it will snap into the notch 54. The pin87prevents the spring 75 from pullin the trigger beyond the position shownw en thelug 55 is notpresent.

Should the air in the rojectile become accidentally discharged wlililethe gun is in horizontal position, the projectile is prevented frombeing discharged from the gun by means of the contact of the lu 55 withthe end of the base frame at 88, t e strain being carried by-the web 5and the bottom plate of the base frame.

Referrin now to Figs. 3, 5, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 t e firingmechanism will be considered. Keyed to the ltrunnion shaft 9 are twogear segments 89 meshin with the two gear segments 90 at each si e ofthe compartment 2. The gear segments 90 are keyed to the operating shaft91 passing through the compartment 2 and projecting through the sides 92of the compartment on either side thereof. Upon this shaft are mountedthree hammers 93, independent of one another, for operating threeindependent firing pins to be hereinafter described. It is the object tocock these hammers while the gun is passing from horizontal to verticalposition, and to release them against the firingpins when the gun islocked in vertical position with respect to the base frame.

The hammers 93 are mounted for rotation about the shaft 91 and the shaftis mounted in the sides of the compartment for rotation in the bearin94. -The shaft 91 is keyed to cranks 95 adjacent the sides 92, in theends of which cranks is mounted the shaft 96 which is held againstrotation by the pins 97, Figs. 13 and 15. Upon this shaft are rotatablymounted three dogs 98 the upper ends of which engage the notches 99 inthe hammers 93, and when the shaft 91 is rotated by the ear segments,the cranks 95, carrying the s aft 96, .cause the dogs 98 to revolveabout the shaft 91, thereby pulling .the hammers 93 around with them.The

dogs 98 are held against the notches 99 in the hammers by'means of thesprings 100 secured at their ends to the shaft 96, while the loop 101formed by each spring passes over the rear of each dog and tends tothrust them toward the hammers, see Figs. 14 and 15. To hold the hammersin their cocked position the triggers, three in number, 102 areemployed. These triggers are lmounted for rotation upon a shaft 103,Figs. 3 and 5, and each provided with a nose 104 at the upper endthereof and a long arm 105 extendin beneath the shaft 91 at the lowerend. en the hammers 93 are rotated through an angle of 90, orsubstantially thereabout, by the dogs 98, the nose 104 on each triggeris shoved lnto the notches 106 by springs 108', and the cam surface 107on the lower arms of the dogs 98 come ito engagement with the shaft 103,thereby causing the nose 154 of each of them to be withdrawn from thenotches 99 in the hammers 93 shortly after the nose 104 of each triggery102 falls into the notch 106 in the hammer.

Three sleeves 108 are mounted upon the shaft 91 for rotation, one besideeach hammer on the same relative side, Figs. 3, 5, 11

amaai and 12. These sleeves are constructed asin Fig. 12 with a solidportion 109, a flange 110, formed by the portion 111 havin been cut away,to form a socket 112 to receive the main spring, and an abutmentsurface 113 to impinge upon a stop lug and a driving lug to be referredto later. The main ham mer springs 114, one for each hammer, aresocketed in the end plate 114 of the compartment 2 at 115, and extendinto the socket 112. When the hammers are drawn back by the dogs 98engaging the notches '99,- the lug 116 on the side of each hammerengages the abutment surface 113 of each sleeve 108\ and causes eachsleeve to rotate with the hammer adjacent to it, thus causing each mainspring 114 to bow upward. When the nose 104 o from thenotch 106 in eachhammer, the main spring 114 drives the sleeve back to its originalposition by means of its contact with the lug 116 on the side ofthehammer.

` curs.

The sleeve 108 is stopped in the position shown in Fig. 3 by theabutment surface 113 coming in contact with the downwardly prov jecting.lug 117 on the under side of the top plate 118 lnclosing the firingapparatus.

Each hammer 93 does not stop at the position shown in Fig. 3, however,but swings on through the opening 119 in the top plate 118, until thenose 120 of the hammer strikes the firing pin which lis directly abovethe opening in the top plate when this operation oc- Each hammer iscaused then to return to the position shown in Fig. 3 by means of thespring 121, Fig. 11, which is coiled about the shaft 91 and lies withinthe recess 122 in each hammer. One end of this spring is fastened to thehammer at 123 and the other end is secured to the sleeve 108 by means ofbending it through the hole 124, Fig. 12. Spring 121 is so wound aboutthe shaft 91 that when the nose of the hammer moves up through theopening 119 in the top plate, it winds the spring and then recoils backto the position shown in Fig. 3 by the unwinding thereof.

lt will thus be seen that the hammer nose 120 normally remains below thetop plate 118 except when striking the firing pin.

By referring to Fig. 3 it will be seen that the lug 116 is so located onthe hammer 93 that it clears the downwardly projecting lug 117 on theunder side of the'top plate 118, and that in the position shown the lug116 is bearing against the abutment surface or face 113, by reason ofthe .spring 121, and that the abutment surface 113 is in turn bearingagainst the lug 117 caused by the tension of the main spring 114.

In order that all parts may be readily assembled between the two fixedside walls 92 and the auxiliary side plates 125, the shaft 91 isprovided with a key way throughout its entire length. The cranks 95 arekeyed to each trigger 102 is drawn out 1 this shaft by means of the keys127, the rel motion engagement with the .locking finger 131 mounted forrotation upon the shaft put on the shaft in their' 131, and normallyheld in the position shown in Fig. 3 by means of the spring 132. Thislocking finger 131 is provided with an upward projection 133 whichnormally extends above the top plate 118, as shown in Fig. 3, and is forthe purpose of engaging the notch 144 provided in each of the webs 135in the locklng head 11, when'the locking head swings down intoengagement with the sides 92 of the compartment2, which pro- Jlttslightly above the top plate 118 as at At the end of the locking finger131 is an oset portion 145 forming a seat upon which the nose 146 of thedog 130 normally rests; the dog 130 being held in contact with thelocking finger by the spring 147.

eferring now to Figs. 3 and 5, the locking head 11 is mounted upon thebreech of the gun 7 and is for the purposel of providing a 4suitablepositive connection and locking means between the gun and the baseframe, and at the same time to carry part of the firing apparatus, viz;the firing pins.

This locking head 11 is held against rotation'about ,the axis of the gunby means of the mechanism to be herein disclosed, and it is the objectto so connect the locking head with the main frame that it will be heldat all times against rotation about the axis of the gun regardless ofthe position of the latter. To accomplish these functions the lockinghead is provided with a series of webs 135, four in number, integraltherewith, which extend around underneath the head when the gun is inhorizontal position, Fig. 3, and each is provided with a cam surface 149and a notch 144 near the lirin pins 148. These webs mesh between yaseries of lugs 150 lying between the side walls 92 and cast integralwith the base frame.

The side walls 92 extend down to the base of the base frame and,together with the end wall 6, are integral with the base frame. Near theend wall 6,' the side walls are curved upward with a radius struck fromthe center of the trunnion upon which the gun rotates.

head is swung aroundtothe vertical position the webs 151 will exactlyabut the top edges of the side -walls 92 causing the recoll to beabsorbed upon the base frame eliminatin any strain'on the brackets 3.

hen the locking head is swung around from horizontal toverticalposition, the webs 135- slide snugly between the lugs 150 andthus guide the lockinghead and webs 151 thereon accurately to positivecontact with the side walls 92; the square ends of the webs 151 causingthev gun to stop exactly in the verticall position relative to the baseby reason of their contact with the side Walls 92 after the gun hasrotated through substantially 90.

When the locking head is in this vertical position, each firing pin 148will be directly over the opening in the top plate 118 and directly inthe line of the nose of each hammer 93. The locking lingers 131 can thenslip into the notches 144 in the webs 135 and thus lock the gun in asubstantially vertical position relative to the base. Upon the lockingfinger shaft 131 are securely mounted four screws 152 whichengage a pin153 on the side of and integral with each locking linger. A manuallyoperable crank arm 1312 is attached to one end of the shaft 131 at theexterior of the side wall 92 and is for rotating the shaft in thedirection of the arrow, when it is desired to release the lockingfingerfrom the notches 144, so that the gun may be brought back to thehorizontal position after firing.

Assuming'now that the gun is in horizontal position and released so thatit may swing to the vertical position, the operation of the liringapparatus, 1s as follows, attention being directed to Fig. 3. The in.-stant the gun starts to rotate on the trunnions 9, the shaft 91 isrotated by the gear segments 89 and 90 keyed to the shafts 9 and 91respectively, and thus causes the shaft 96 mounted on the crank arm 95to revolve about the shaft 9 1, carrying with it the dog 98, which inturn causes the hammers to rotate on the shaft 91; the hammers causingthe sleeves 108 to rotate about the shaft 91 through the contact of thelug 106 with the abutment surface 113 on the sleeve. About the sametime, the cam surface 149 on each web 135 comes into engagement with theprojection 133 on each locking` finger 131 and when the n has rotatedthrough about 20 the loc ingngers are depressed to the level of the topedge 136 of the side walls 92, but bear against the edge of the webs 135held in contact thereto by the springs 132. f When the locking fingersare depressed, the operation leaves the nose.104 of each trigger 102free to be pressed against the rear circular portion of the hammer 93and into the notches 106, when it comes around to that point, becausefthe dog 130 can drop slightly owing to the between the nose 146 ofspace then existin e seat 145 in the end of site to nose 104, the camsurface 107 of each dog 98 comes in contact with the shaft 103 andbegins to pull the nose 146 on the opposite end of the dogs 98 out ofthe notch 99 in the hammer, but does not pull it clear of the notchuntil the nose 104 of the trigger falls into the notch 106 whichoperation causes the hammers to remain in the cocked position. Thus thehammers are cocked when the gun has rotated through an angle of about70, and as there is nothing to interfere with the further travel of thedogs 98, the lost motion requisite to the coclng of the hammers isprovided.

The hammers remain in cocked position until the webs 151 come in contactwith the side Walls 92 at which time the gun is in vertical positionrelative to the base frame, and the locking lingers 131 may slip intothe notches 144 in the webs 135, which have now (ome to the positionpermitting them to o so.

The space between the nose 146' on the upper end of each dog 130, andthe seat 145 at the end of each locking iin er is so adjusted that whenthe lockmg nger has almost attained its final position, the seat 145comes in contact with the nose 146 and raises the dog 130 suflicientlyto pull the long arm of the trigger-102 upward causing the nose 104 topull away from the hammer notches 106 thus releasing them.

The spring 114 then shoves the sleeve 108 around, carrying the hammerwith it, until the abutment surface 113 on the sleeve 108 comes incontact with the downwardly projecting lug 117 on the to plate 118,where it stops abruptly. he hammer travels on by the force of itsmomentum, the nose projecting through the opening 119 in the top plate118 and striking the firing pin a sharp blow after which 1t retracts tothe posltion shown by the action of the spring 121, Fig. 11.

Referring now to Figs. 3, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, the breech mechanism willbe considered.-

amonio tion of the shafts. This furnishes an eRective means for holdingthe trunnion shaft and ring against rotation on the gun barrel, and atthe same time reinforces the band 157. This band 157 is slid on the rearend of the' gun barrel 7 and held thereon -by means of a two-piece rin160, spliced simivlar to the ring shown in Figs. 9 and 10. This rin istted in the annular groove 161 cut in ne outside of the barrel.

A breech block 10 is screwed, or otherwise -securely adjusted, to theend of the barrel 7,

which has three cartridge compartments 161, Figs. 3 and 6, for theinsertion of three steel nosed rifle cartridges 162, the two sidecompartments converging slightly toward one another. At the smaller endof. each compartment is screwed a barrel 163 through which the steelnosed riHe balls ass. The breech block is held against rotatlon and inthe position shown by means of the screw plugs 164, passing through .thebarrel 7 into the thick portion of the breech. The head locking ring165, F igs."3, 6, 9 and l0, fits into the annular recess 166 near therear end of the breech block 10 and is made in-tWo pieces as shown inFigs. 9 and 10 and locked together by the screws 167. This ring has jfour notches 168 cut to the depth that brings the diameter at the notchportion equal to the largest diameter of the breech block 10. Thisconstruction causes the projecting portions 169 to extend radially outbeyond the breech head when the ring is adjusted in the annular groove166.

.The pivoted handle 170 is mounted in one of the projections 169, asshown in Figs. 9 and 10 for the purpose of shifting the ring in thegroove when it is desired to lock the locking head on to the breechblock against endwise removal.

The locking head has four lugs jecting inwardly from the interior thesame, notches 168 in the ring 165.

When it is desired to put the locking head upon the gun, the webs 135are positioned so that they will slide on the base frame; the lockingring 165 is adjusted so that projecting lugs 171 in the locking headwill pass the notches in the ring; the locking head is then shovedforward over the breech. Tt will be necessary 171 prowalls of to lay thehandle 17 0 on the ring 165 down forwardly flat against the outside ofthe breech and barrel while this is being done.

When the locking head is shoved home, the handle 170 will register withthe offset slot 172, Fig. 8, in the locking head. vA sharp instrument isthen inserted into the slot and the end of the handle picked out, andmoved through the main slot 173 car ing the ring around with it untilthe handle registers wlth the opposite slot 174, when it 1s pressed downforwardly into this latter of slightly shorter length than the betweenthe lugs 150 -with the cartridges 162 in the breech'block.

That the locking head may be secured against rotation on the gun twonotches 17 5. are cut in the end of the shell of the locking head, Figs.3, 6 and 7, which engage the square portion 158 of the trunnion shaft 9,in a manner similar to the method employed in lockingthc band 157 to thegun; the locking head extending a short'distance over the band, andcovering a portion thereof.

llt will be seenthat this construction securely locks all parts andholds them against rotation about the axis of the gun.

Referring now to Fig. 3, the means em ployed Afor releasing thecompressed air in made of glass or other friable material,

which is not porous, or if made of a porous substance is lined on theconvex side with a permanently air tight non-porous substance, seatedtherein. An elastic adhesive seal 180 is then deposited at the point ofunion of the convex surface and the inside surface of the seat block176. With such a closure, the arch of the semispherical crown makes itpossible for a comparatively thin piece of friable material to be used,and the elasticity of the seal prevents the expansion and con tractionof the material employed from exerting unequal side strains on theclosure 179, which might tend to cause va fault in` the arch, and theconsequent collapse due to the high pressure bearing against it.

By this means of construction a perfectly air tight closure is providedand at the same time the closure is such that a full opening is eH'ectedinstantly, an opening which is theY full area of the inside opening ofthe seal block, which is little less th'anthe internal diameter of thecylinder 12. This instantaneous opening is accomplished by the suddencollapse and crumbling of the semi-spherical arch after the same hasbeen cracked or pierced by the simultaneous discharge of the cartridgeballs from the cartridges 162 in the breech block. Each ball takes eectupon the closure near its center and in a row causing the sudden ruptureof the arch.

A vent 181 leads through the breech block aan tween the breech block andthearched closure when the cartrid es are discharged.

This vent is not of su .cient size to mate rially eii'ect the pressure1n the gun when the compressed air 1s released. An alarm whistle 181 issecured m the vent outside the locking head to give a warning should theclosure for some reason leak.

A metal packing ring 182 is mounted in the rear end of the seat block176 so that the projectile receives the full benefit of the pressurebehind it, and the outside of the `cylinder is covered tightly with sometough fabric which is pressed into rifling grooves, not shown, providedin the gun barrel 7,.

As there are three hammers 93 each operated independently of the other,three firing pins and ythree cartridges any one of which will fracturethe closure, the failure of any 'two of the parts named, would notprevent the successful operation of the device. This is considered avery necessary precaution and wherever it is possible, two or more ofthe same operating devices are employed, and are of such constructionthat the failure of one will not obstruct the operation of the others. A

` Referring now to Fig, the front end by .the compression spring 196bearing agalnst the spider 197 secured tothe end of the cylinder 198,directly in line with the valveand vstem 199. To this stem is attachedtheppiston 200 provided with packing n ngs 201 and a sprlng closed valve202, stopping a passage 203 extending through the piston. The cylinder198 is screwed to the mouth: 204 of the reservoir 14, and the chargingvalve 205 and the pilot valve 206 are mounted in the head 207 thereof.The

the arachute is stripped down over the projectlle to this fold thecablev209 will be jerked, causing the glass tube 207 to break off, andthe broken part of the thimble 208 of the projectile containingthesmaller com- 185 and a screw cap 186. A pressure gage pressed airchamberand valve mechanism will be considered. Here the front end of theprojectile 12 is shown having a closure 183 screwed into the end. Thisclosure is semi-spherical and contains the charging valve 184 providedwith a'spring held valve 187 is also secured to the head andcommunicates with the interior of 'the reservoir at' 188. This closurehas a ground joint contact at 189 with the cylinder 12, afordingfaneffective air tight connection. To the exterior of the cylinder 12, thesmall secondary reservoir 14 is screwed securely, thus joining the twomembers. The purpose of `this reservoir is to hold a supply of air underhigh pressure to inflate the pneiimatic tubular framework secured to theunderside of the parachute tp facilitate the quick expansion of thatmember ata comparatively low falling velocity. This reservoir isprovided with a pressure gage 14 secured to theexterior of the casingand communicating with the interior for determining the pressure at' alltimes.

The radial tubes of this pneumatic framework are securely connected tothe ports 190 radially extending` from the chamber 191, which is'separated fromthe reservoir 14 by the convex partition 192. Reservoir 14communicates with the chamber 192 through I the valve port 193, the areaof which is equal to the combined area of the radial tube connectingports 190. This valve port 193I is held normally closed by the valve 194bearing upon the seat 195, and is held there y the re ular black lines.Two of different manner than. the balance o to pull out through theopening 210 which 1s provided for that purpose in the cap 211 and t oallow the air on the front side of the piston 200 to escape. .The areaof the `piston 200 being greater than the area of the valve4 port 193,the valve 194 is raised instantly and allows the air inthe reservoir 14to pass into the chamber 191, and thence into t e radial'tubes attachedto the'und'er side of the parachute.

Paying particular attention now to the method employed in folding theparachute about the projectile, the pneumatic expanding means, themanner in which the guys, or guy ropes, are stored to prevent tanglingand the means em loyed in ripping o en the oiled paper parac ute coverwhen -t e guy vropes are' all pulled out, reference will be had to Fi s.17,18,'19,20,21,28,29 and 3o. In Fig. 1 the folding of the parachute isrepresented diagrammatically by the irregular black lines 15 and thepaper cover 24, by the guy ropes esigiiated by 25 on opposite sides ofthe folded parachute are folded in a slightly the guy ropes 25, becausethey are so arranged that when they have pulled out to the' next to thelast fold they must tear down through the paper envelop 24 beforepulling taut thus dividingthe paper cover 24 into halves permitting t efree stripping of the parachute over the rear end of the projectile 12.This is accomplished by having the guy ropes 25 pass once up under thepaper cover and'out through the same at 24 and thence folded up and downin the manner diagrammatically shown in Fig. 20. After passing outthrough the paper envelop at rope 22 is reached by ammala 24 the foldingis just the same as the folding for the balance ofthe guy ro aes.

l4`ig. 18 shows an outside View o the parachute in folded position andinclosed in the paper envelop 24, the dotted lines representing one ofthe guy ropes 25 folded underneath the flaps 27, such flaps extendingalim ,t to the front end of the projectile from the point 27 at therear, and the method of overlapping the fiaps 27 is illustrated in Fig.21, which shows the separate compartments formed by the flaps and theends of the folds of the guy rope contained therein. Each flap 27 foldsover the next preceding one and is cemented to the outside thereof, withthe exception of the compartments A containing the guy ropes 25', inwhich case the flap B is pasted under the next adjacent flap forming thecompartment A, as at C, this being done so that the rope 25 in tearingthrough the envelop 24 will separate the envelop into halves, whichwould not be the case were the flap B pasted in the same way as thebalance, as the fiap B would not be torn and would still hold'the foldsof the parachute in confinement. After the guy ropes are folded andplaced in their respective compartments, the protruding ends are securedto the ring 23 which is then slip ed over the gathered end of the paperenve op and forced onto the concave annular elastic flange 20 at the endof the conical shield cylinder 20. This arrangement serves to hold thegathered end of the paper envelop securely about the folded parachute atthe rear, and furnishes a convenient detachable mounting for the guyrope lring 23. The annular flange is made elastic by means of the cutout portions 20". This permits of the compression of the flange to allowthe ring 23 to be pulled off when the end of the the flying projectile.Parachute 15 is of suflicient size to retard the descent of anVVaeroplane to a safe land.

ing velocity, but where it is not desired to carry one of suchdimensions, as possibly in the case of a racing machine, a smallerparachute may be used to retard the descent sufficiently to allow timefor the aviator to swingclear of the falling machine by means of anauxiliary rope secured to the main parachute rope and then cut themachine free allowing it to fall, while he is lowered by the parachute.The parachute is made of a light tough silk, woven with heavy strandsrunning at right angles to each other spaced about one inch apart, andis oiled or otherwise treated to make it comparatively air tight; theheavy strands preventingthe velongation of any rips that may start inthe fabric. To further guard against extensive ripping a light networklmade of strong silk strands having a mesh of not over three orfourinches completely covers the parachute and is tacked to the fabricat short intervals; the net is also firmlysecured t" the guy ropesleading radially over the parachute and is `put beneath them, lyingbetween the parachute fabric and the gu ropes. lt will thus be seen thatthe strain upon the under surface of the fabric will be distributedabout the tough silk network. 'lhe cross bar weave and net work abovereferred to are not illustrated in the drawings to avoid confusion inlines.

To positively expand the parachute, a collapsible tubular framework 210is secured to the under side of the 29 and 80, having radial tubes 211leading from the chamber 191 in the projectile head, and extending tothe continuous ring 212 encircling the parachute near its periphery.Near the point of connection between the radial tubes and the circulartube, the radial tubes branch as at 213 so as to communicate with thecircular tube at both sides of the point 214, should a kink occur in thecircular tube at that point, due possibly to the initial depression ofthe parachute by a guy rope at that location when `the parachute isopening.

The' tubing is constructed of fine rubber material such as is commonlyusedi'or inner tire tubes, but of a finer and thinner quality so as toreduce its bulk and weight. To increase the life of this tubing, it islined on the inside with fine silk to prevent the rubber surfaces fromcoming in contact when the parachute is folded. A tough heavy silk,casing is provided for the outside, capable of holding the rubbertubing in confinement at pressure substantially above 50 pounds persquare inch, as such a pressure will exist throughout the framework whenthe air `in the reservoir 14 is released into this frame- Work.

As the air is released into the tubing directly before the parachute isstripped, it follows that when the parachute is entirely stripped overthe projectile and is drawn out to its full closed length the compressedair will already have traversed the radial tubes and will charge thecircular tube 212 directly afterward causing the periphery of theparachute Ato assume a `large expanding circle, assisted of course bythe pressure incident the fall of the parachute through the r air.

It is a well known fact that the-parachute in common use today musttravel downward at a comparatively high velocity before sufficientpressure can accumulate within it to stretch out the parachute and thatthe higher the falling velocity required to expand the parachute, thegreater will be the strain upon the fabric ofthe parachute when it firstopens. ln a parachute ofthe dimensions here considered, and with thecom-' ered safely, it is quite obvious that means parachute, Figs. 28,

lll

' paratively heavyweight which is to be lowshould be provided to aid theexpansion of the parachute materially before a h igh falling velocity isattained thus mlnimizing the strain and shock. c

The expansion of the circular tube 212 the instant the parachute isdrawn out straight immediately starts the eriphery of the parachutetospread out efore the-strain of the guy ropes is appreciable, thetendency thus being to pull the center of the parachute toward the planeof expansion of the periphery. The parachute will thus bel partiallyopen, or openmg, at a'rateof falling speed which is comparatlvely lowwith respect to the rate requislteto open a parachute of ordinaryconstruction. The result of this will be that the parachute will openentirely at a much lower rate of -falling shown in Fig. 28. Theperiphery of this' 'speed than usually requisite, andtherefore with farless incident shock and strain. In

order to secure a maximum of wind resistin area for the amount ofmaterialemploye the parachute may be .provided witha continuous annularflap 215 forming a pocket around the periphery zof theparachute, as

, pocket is supported by ropes217 extending chute in the direction ofthe arrows is greater l device consistsl of a casing 219 expanded into Iwell 228 in the bearing block 225 cut at the than the pressure frombeneath at the pe.` riphery of the parachute, and the contlnuous ocketwill therefore bulge as shown,

causing the guy ropes to be shoved away .from the center of the a ofcontact therewith,

ereby increasing "the effective area to a. considerable extent.

Referring to Figs. 22, 23, 25, 26 and 2 l', the releasehandle will beconsidered. This a bell 220 and mounted at a convenient location on theflying machine accessible to the operator. The handle 221 normally heldin the position lshown by thel springs 222 1s secured to the end'of arod 22.3,which slides in the bearings 224 and 225. The shaft 223 has anenlarged portion 226 in which is cut l a slot 227 transversely of theaxis, the sides of the slotbeing cut at an angle with the -axis equal tothe normal inclination angle of the casing 219 relative to the iiyingmachine. This slot normally registers with a same angle with relationthereto as is the slot 227. The dep'th'of the slot at the point 229,Fig. 26, is slightly greater than the* radius of the ball 230 whichnormally rests at the bottom of the well 228 and 4moves freely therein.It will be thus seen that the rod 223 can be pulled toward the operatorwhile the ball remains in the well, but when rachute at the point itrolls down into the notch 227 by the turnmg over of the ying machine inany direction for more than 90, the sides of the slot l227 press theball 230, which will assume the position indicated in dotted lines, Fig.27, against the wall of the well 228 at the point marked 231, and 'bindit there by reason of the de th of the slot 227 being greater than 'thera ius of the ball. The shaft is therefore locked and cannot be pulled bthe operator. While thus locked it may owever be released should it beso desired, by rotating the shaft in either direction, causmg thecamsurfaces 232 of the bottom of the slot 227 to force the center of theball beyond the point 231 and into the well, thus allowlng the rod tolslide in its bearings, the

ball being shoved completely into the well regardless of the inclinationof the latter with respect t'o the horizontal.

The handle 221 is normally held against the bearing block 224 by meansof the compression spring 233 abutting the bearing block 225 and theI-head 234 secured to the opposite end of the shaft. The operating.cable 69 is secured to the I-head thus couging the handle 221 to therelease rod 64.

y the above construction the operator is prevented from discharging atan angle below'the horizontal, where it would be the least effective,but if it is seen that the machine will not turn over to an effective{iring position, the projectile may still be discharged by turningthehandle in either direction until the rod is unlocked, when it may bepulledby the operator.

When the pro]ectile is released it is' quite obvious that the enginevshould be stopped,

- and for this purpose a out out switch in the ignition system, operatedby the release rod,

`is provided. The circuit is held closed by the contact of the metalsleeve 223 with the springterminals 219 and is opened when the releaserod 223 is pulled, Acausing the sleeve 223 to pass out of engagementwith the terminals. To prevent the rod4 from returning to its normalposition, the spring 222 is provided in the rod 223 and is depressedinto the groove 220 when the handle 1s pulled forward. When the end ofthe sprmg passes the bearing 224 the spring 222 engages the bearing andprevents the return of the rod thus holding the circuit open.

Having fully described the construction of the apparatus the operationthereof will now be discued. Assuming that the main reservoir 12 hasbeen charged with air under -suiicient pressure to discharge theprojectile from'l the gun at sufficient velocity to carry it therequired distance from the {lying machine, and that the reservoir 14 hasbeen charged with air under high compression, and that the parachute,guy ro es, and main rope have been properly fol ed and rounds thegunbarrel.

Lamers positioned as described, the main reservoir 12 is slipped intothe gun barrell while the folded parachute remains without and sur-'lFhe gun barrel is then lowered to the horizontal position and therelease rod allowed to lock it in that l position by the double lockingmeans described.

rllhe apparatus is now ready for ring when the emergency arises.Assuming now. that the flying machine, when at considerable elevation isdisabled, or that the operator has lost control thereof so that a fallis inevitable, the operator, who should preferably be strapped to hisseat, immediately braces himself and pulls the handle controlling therelease rod. The springs 'acting upon the cranks 52 cause the gun barrelwith the projectile to swing up to the position vertical to the base,the three hammers 93 being simultaneously cocked by this movement of thegun barrel, and when the latter has finally reached verticalposition, itis locked in place. The following instant the triggers are pulled by thelocking mechanism when the hammers are caused to .strike the firingpins, which in turn impinge upon the percussion caps in thercartridgescontained in the breech block, and the vsteel nosed balls are vdriventhrough the friable diaphragm or closure 17 9 in the end of the mainreservoir.v

The pressure in the reservoir immediately crushes what may remain of theclosure and rushes against the breech block, the reaction dischargingthe reservoir projectile with the parachute attached thereto noseforward into the atmosphere with sufficient velocity to carry it clearof the flying machine and to accomplish the objects'to be enumerated andhereinbefore described.

The main rope 22 immediately pulls the spring 32, Fig. 22, up along sideof the gun barrel and then starts to slip off from the drum 30, where itwas previously coiled. This rope is about equal to the distance betweenthe center of the flying machine and the tip of one of the planes. Whenthe end of the rope 22 is reached by the projectile, the four strands28, connecting the' rope 22 with the guy rope ring 23, jerk the ringfrom the concave flange of the shield cylinder 20, thus freeing the endof the paper envelop surrounding the parachute, and pulling out the guyropes `from their respective compartments formed on the exterior of theparachute envelop. The momentum stored in the flying projectile causesit to continue its flight until the guy ropes are all pulled out fromtheir compartments, and the two guy ropes 25 have torn the envelop intohalves, and until the folded parachute has been stripped over theprojectile, there being sufiicient momentum to accomplish all of theseoperations. The pressure in the air thread. Nuts 23 reservoir 12 shouldbe regulated so as'fnotto give more velocity to the projectile thanisrequired to complete the stri pin operation so as to avoid excessiveshoe w en` its forward movement is finally retarded.'v `'lhe spring 32is provided to absorb any excessive shock of this nature. When theparachute is stripped to its full length the compressed air in thesecondary reservoir 1t has already been released by the breaking of thefrangible pilot valve closure 207 by the cable 209 which is attached toone of the folds of the parachute, as has been heretofore described. hepneumatic tubular framework is caused to expand .immediately causing theparachute to expand at its periphery and subsequently to open to fulldiameter.

As the complete operation requires but a few seconds from the time therelease rod is pulled, it will be seen that the falling machme cannotacquire a very high velocity in that short interval owing to theresistance afforded by the planes. 'llhe shock incident to the openingof the parachute and its assumption of the load of the falling machine,pulls the spring clamp 36 away from the lugs 33 at the base of the gunand transfers the load to the rope 40 which is attached to the springsuspension system` previously de,- scribed.

A friction feed, Fig. 31, for the cable 40 is provided to allow the loadon the parachute to be gradually applied, and consists of a pair ofdisks 40 keyed against rotation upon a screw shaft 22. The cable iswound spirally between the diskswhich may slide toward one another onthe shaft, and is fastened to the hub'portion of one of the disks. Thecable is thus divided into twocparts, one part being fastened to the hubportion of one of the disks and the other part to the framework of thereel. The ends of the shaft are threaded oppositely, one end havingarighthand thread and the other end, a left-hand are mounted onthe endsof the shaft and springs 24' are arranged between the nuts and the disks10 which abut the disks 4Q. Toggle .arms 30 connect the nuts, and afastening yoke 29 for the lower end of the cable is provided at thehinge of the toggle arms. When the upper cable 40 is pulled, the disksrotate the shaft 22 which' action causes the nuts to move toward eachother thus tightening the springs "and increasing the friction on thecable as it draws out from between the disks, causing a graduallyincreasing resistance as the cable unwinds.

All excessive shock is thus absorbed and the load gradually transferredto the parachute relieving it of excessive initial strain.

It is quite obvious that the gun may be constructed to discharge theprojectile at any desired angle relative to the plane surfaces of themachine it being merely a to l prising a projectile, a folded matter ofdesign and construction to have it so discharge, and I do not limit thisinvention to the angle herein illustrated as preferable. It is quiteevident also that this apparatus may be made applicable to the monoplanetype of aeroplane by arranging a'suitable mounting' over theengine and'in front of and above the operator,l the spring ropes being so locatedas to distribute the load near the base of the machine substantiallyabove 'the center of gravity, inmuch the same manner as employedin thebi-plane construction herein illustrated. It will be equally obviousthat a pro -elling agentfor the projectile other than t e one disclosedmay be utilized without departing from the spirit 4of my invention, andit will be understood'that the term firing. as used in the claims coversthe discharge of the compressed air or other propelling agent utilizedin projecting the projectile and its parachute, clear of the machine.

The advantagesof the apparatus herein Aset forth together with suchothers as may be incident thereto, will be apparent to those skilled iniying apparatus. It will be clear that the fastening cable of theparachute may be attached either to the aeroplane, or to the operator.'1

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use what I claimas new and :desire to secure by Letters Patent is the followingz- 1. Asafety device for aeroplanes comprising a projectile, a folded arachutesecured thereto, a fastening cable or the parachute, means mounted'onthe aeroplane structure for projecting the projectile and the parachutein folded position thereabout clear of the aeroplane, and means openingthe parachute after it has traveled in folded condition a predetermineddistance.

2. A safety device for aeroplanes comprising a projectile, a parachutesecured thereto and folded thereabout in concentric folds, a fasteningcable for the parachute, and means mounted on the aeroplane structurefor projecting the projectile and parachute clear of vthe aeroplane, thesaid cable being adapted to strip the folds of the parachute over theprojectile.

3. A safety device for aeroplanes comarachute secured `thereto, a cablefor astening the parachute to the aeroplane, and a gun mechanismi. forprojecting the projectile clear .of the aeroplane, said gun mechanismvvhen 'in inoperative position lying substantiallyA parallel to theplane of flight and when in operative position at an angle with respectto said plane.

4. A safety device for aeroplanes comprising a projectile, a foldedarachute secured thereto, a cable for astening the parachute to theaeroplane and a movable gun mechanism for projecting the projectile andparachute clear of the aeroplane, the said gun mechanism lying normallyrsubstantially4 parallel to the planesl` when in inoperatlvefipositionand' atA a substantial angle thereto when in operative position.

53A safety device for aeroplanes comprising in combination a gunmechanism, a

lprojectile mounted therein, a parachute secured to the projectile andfolded about the gun mechanism, a casing between the gun mechanism andthe folded parachute, and a cable for fastening the parachute to theaeroplane, the said casing permitting the parachute tostrip freely fromth'e gun mechanism when (the latter discharges the projectile clear ofthe aeroplane.

7. A safety device for aeroplanes comprising in combination a gunmechanism, a projectile mounted therein, a casing fitting loosely overthe gun mechanism and secured to the projectile, a parachute secured tothe projectile and folded about the said casing, and a cable forfastening the parachute to the aeroplane, the said gun mechanism' beingadapted to discharge the projectile clear of the aeroplane.

8. A'safety device for aeroplanes comprising in combination a gunmechanism hinged to the aeroplane structure, a projectile mountedtherein, a folded parachute secured to theprojectile, and a cable forfastening the parachute to the aeroplane, the said gun mechanism when ininoperative position lying substantiallyparallel to the plane of theaeroplane, and when in operative position at a substantial angle there'-to so that the projectile will be discharged clear of the aeroplane.

9. A safety device for aeroplanes comprising in combination, a gunmechanism hinged to the aeroplane and normally lying substantiallyparallel to the plane thereof, a projectile mounted therein, a foldedparachute secured to the projectile, a cable for fastening the parachuteto the aeroplane, and means for moving the gun mechanism to a position;at a substantial angle to the planes so that the projectile will bedischarged clear of the aeroplane.

10. A safety device for aeroplanes comprising in combination, a gunmechanism'

